Riceboy Sleeps

Alone and unmarried, So-young moves to Canada with her son Dong-hyun. At school, Dong-hyun faces bullying due to his appearance and cultural differences. Meanwhile, the mother encounters adversity in her factory job, where she experiences harassment and exclusion from her colleagues. So-young responds by standing up for herself, leading to further isolation. Over time, they let go of their Korean heritage, culminating in Dong-hyun's transformation into David with bleached hair and blue contact lenses. Their home becomes an oasis where shared meals, storytelling, and embraces provide refuge from the outside world. But even within this sanctuary, So-young struggles to discuss the absence of Dong-hyun's father, and the gap between them widens. From this, we get a deeply moving and thought-provoking story.

The film is partially based on director Anthony Shim's own upbringing. Within the genre of South Korean migrant narratives, Riceboy Sleeps joins films like Minari and Past Lives. These films tell unique stories of individual relationships and families, reflecting on the concepts of home and belonging.